The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-07-17
A ROUSING MIDNIGHT FIRE.
GooD-BY, METROPOLITAN WAREHOUSE
CLOSE CALL FOR TILE CASINO.

Fireuacu Scattered and Hurt by an Explo-
sien-Twenty InJurcd. several seriously
"A Loss Of Hair n Million-Thc Casino
Company Attends tho show-somobody
saves Famine H" osrlcn ran ,or
re-, r-A a, 49, s.a. 1",."s"
%.r.,c" Srs.s .s Fs,,,n. W.,i.HAn
A.,.,.or.tI. Canarv killed nv n brick.
.1 ,,,,,rod n ,oss ~ no,r,,, halo
D -, nio,on 'i,I,,.,.. 1t.
inlilloh uona,s 900 , I.s .,.as.
ioi more .nah IoV peopo anu "a, Wy . Nas
ens ous,o9A M M, Mahiso Snv ,,,ar. ~ "a
aon,mav,,n,,.. ~ .hn dastrnn,,on ~ ,bo Mo,ro.
o,..n. n.e..s,. VI uno IN Wet Thirtv
o,ah,h ,.soot sas.o rdou u,orn,na Tbe bniId,ng
,nas a." sto,,os ~ h-icL at III 10 ana iat
on .ho north s,Ja ~ vast rtv.eiubth
street 60 feet 'front.' and running back 100 feet
IN tho Casino TIA west wall abutted on tho
roa rn ~, nom ~, t,sostorv hrict budines that
oa. " p pom y. smo -, ' ,ha aaat ita na;,,h
bors were an unoccupied four-story brown
stone at ll5 Yves. ThIrty-oishth street and t, the
Hotel Madison in Thirty-ninth street. The
Hotel Normandie is across Broadway. on the
southeast corner OF ihlr.y'eisn,n s'reet
The fire was discovered at 500 yesterday
morning by Waterman Angus Mcponald, who
sent In an alarm from inc speeA. puuoihs sls-
nal box in the Office Of the warehouse. 1t was
ma,, 1 aud Mononald says that no time was lost
Wii, a nv I a,n a. .,.h. ,ia,,.as
aser It's .S
pattai,"n chist Co,hv NJ the Ninth battalion
battanoh chlei ooioy Vi 'ne MIMI nat.ahon
after tho alarm, and that 1t was apparent at
tha ar . ,,anna that tha nra had bsen burning
the HrSt glance that me hfo hau oeen turning
for some time.
oncs WITH Iun thu ea snsnss thus summond came
Second Assistant Chief Mooabe and Assistant
Chief Bonner. the acting chief OF the depart
ment. Chief Shay being laid up by the iniuryto
his leg at the Park place fireworks fire.
II was McCabe's first big fire since his REIN
statement. ne look inc hehtlhs Gnu Vi =. az
once and ran around to the rear. Gilbert Sher-
wood. the chief machinist Of the, Casino, and
They opened up the Casino building and
the way to sssh n hs lines ts Of 9a SSs
"e Chief Bonner took charge in front, and the
the burning building. Ladders were put up
the front for men to go up on and smash out
Ss
reach the roof and cut through it. The flames
had spread in the moan time 80 that every
per part OF the building was heavily and dan
eerousy charged with smoke and the explosive
eanss s IN eonfiSed space. W 'np'f''''
At SIT air and fire together got to these
gases and there was an sx3losIon: The win;
pieces of sash were hurled across the SIT ret.
The opened doors on the first floor served:Slso
aq NO. ba
the explosion came so quickly was another
proof that the Arc had had a longer start than
Il came at a very dangerous time for the fire.
men. who were swarmine about r. their efforts
he o ppber s Who bed pusbed bo tx
WAYS with lines OF hose. These latter were at
the western entrance, at l21. and were over
Wildsring wave Of Dire they did not know wheth-
threW down. until tbey ep the
foot OF the stairs and were picked up BY their
comrades.
OF the men on the outside Of the building
two were thrown from the ladders tothe street,
one. Patrick Bseen. falling twenty feet. Still
we're hurt by falling debris following the ex-
plosion About l. score were injured alto, alto;
any tention from the surgeons. and OF these
five had to be taken to tho New York Hospital.
They We're the two men knocked of the lad
Of the eA exposion Among the slightly Injured
The sxpioson gave rise to report that s es,
building, but the managers deny this and the
gas-charged upper stories.
A few minutes after the outburst the whole
interior OF the structure was roar OF flame.
The heat was terrific, and It was at this time
that the Casino and the Hotel Eormandie were
In danger. Thelatte Is fireproof, and only suf-
fered to The extent of the loss of an awning on
one of the top windows and the cracking Of
some window panes and scorching of the win
dow cases. The guests were reused by the
electric fire alarm system at tho first outbreak
and the situation was ex planned to them by the
speaking tubes from the office. They were as
surod that they would be promptly notified II
there was danger. This kept them all quiet
and even In the rooms where the window avn
ing was burned, occupied by n family with
children, there was no alarm.
The botel people were soon able to give their
attention to outsiders. Manager J. H. Stats
and Steward John McGurk did this, and were
heartily seconded in their action by Capt Fer
dinand p. Earle, the owner. on his arrival.
Their attentions were OF a substantial and solid
nature. and the policemen and fremen were
largely comforted and cheered thereby. They
were not invited in, but were told that they
must come. Once in, they could have anything
they wanted, solid lunches Of steak and coffee.
or lighter ones OF sandwiches and beer, or dip
into the depths. of a huge, kettleful or mix
ture In which lemon peeis hoated, but which
was too red for lemonade.
On the Casino side the danger was perhaps
greater. the distance from the roaring furnace
OF flame being only twenty inches at one point.